School of Supernatural
An extremely-AU fanfic by yours truly, Dragon-Siren 3003. In a world where humans live on the surface, something stirs underneath. And the crust is cracking. The seals are breaking, and the lines between fantasy and reality are being undone. Episode #1: School Spirit (We open on a shot of a school sign. It reads: Jade Mountain Academy, Concord, MA. Established 2015. Pacem Tantum Effectum A Lumine. “Peace is only achieved by enlightenment.” We zoom out to see many students entering the school. Some are nervous, others are grinning.) ' ' QIBLI (V.O.): A lot of people say middle school is the scariest, weirdest time of your life. Mine cranked the “scary” factor up to eleven. One of the first things I learned there was that one of my classmates was dead. Things just got weirder from there. ' ' (The camera focuses on QIBLI, a rather short twelve year old boy with slightly tanned, freckly skin and “dirty blond” hair. Beside him is OSTRICH, a petite, golden blonde ten year old.) ' ' QIBLI (V.O.): Yep. That was me. At a towering four foot eleven, I was a shaggy-haired frecklemonster… who was often mistaken for a girl. ' ' OSTRICH: C’mon! We’re gonna be late. ' ' (OSTRICH grabs QIBLI’s wrist and drags him after her.) ' ' QIBLI (V.O.): The one currently dislocating my arm was Ostrich, my sort-of sister. ' ' QIBLI: Okay, okay! Just give me a minute… ' ' (He pulls out a schedule.) ' ' QIBLI: Let’s see… We’re in the Jade Dorm. We have math, lunch, small groups, and P.E together. So you’ll still see me. ' ' OSTRICH: What if my roommates think I’m annoying? ' ' QIBLI: They won’t. ' ' OSTRICH: But you say I’m… ' ' QIBLI: I’m your older brother. I’m required to say that. ' ' OSTRICH (giggling somewhat nervously): Yeah. See you soon! ' ' (They take off down different hallways. QIBLI opens the door to Room 2317. WINTER is there, looking like he’d rather be anywhere but there. QIBLI gives a small wave.) ' ' QIBLI: You must be (glances down at list of classmates) Prince Winter Eire of Canada (he says this in a British accent, for reasons unknown.) ' ' WINTER (grumpily): It’s Russia. And I’m not actually native to the country. We don’t have British accents, either. ' ' QIBLI: Okay, chill. ' ' WINTER: I have a sense there was a mocking remark in there somewhere, but I will choose to ignore it. You peasants wouldn’t know that mocking royalty is punishable by ten lashings. ' ' (QIBLI pauses) ' ' QIBLI: Well, aren’t you just a little ray of sunshine. ' ' (WINTER grumbles. QIBLI begins unpacking his bags. Various items including clothing, books, and a stuffed animal fly all over the room. Winter picks up the stuffed animal, which happens to be a rather worn anteater.) ' ' WINTER: You seriously still own this thing? In my family, we would’ve thrown them out years ago. ' ' (QIBLI makes a run for the anteater.) ' ' QIBLI: Hey! Mister Termite has been just like an older brother to me! The cool kind, that teaches you how to pick up girls and won’t tell your parents if you eat an entire box of oreos in one sitting. Unlike some sisters I know. ' ' WINTER: Ugh. Where I come from, we do not give such personification to cuddly toys. ' ' QIBLI: What do you do up there? ' ' WINTER: We focus on more severe matters, such as preparing for war and training our people to the highest possible skill. It apparently pays off, now that I have a wider area of comparison. ' ' (QIBLI realizes that even a joke can’t get him out of this one. He simply looks slightly offended, nods, and leaves the room. He walks past Room 31113. He hears something, but when he sticks his head in, nobody’s there. He shrugs it off, and walks away. Scene changes to MOONWATCHER, a somewhat dark-skinned girl with long raven hair and odd birthmarks near her eyes making her way down a hallway. She looks lost and doesn’t look anybody in the eye. Around her, thoughts echo.) ' ' THOUGHTS: Gosh, I’m hungry. ' ' I miss home. The beach here is rocky. ' ' They said we’ll get to go to Salem for a field trip! ' ' Dangit, I forgot my deodorant! ' ' The ice is cracking. Smoke is clouding the sky. It’s too late. ' ' Wonder if people’ll like me. ' ' (MOON shakes her head. She makes her way to a teacher, who is holding a list of names) ' ' MOONWATCHER: Excuse me, miss… ' ' (The teacher, FATESPEAKER, turns around. She beams.) ' ' FATESPEAKER (excitedly): Hi! I’m Fatespeaker, assistant teacher! Need help finding your room, sweetie? ' ' MW (mumbling): Yes. ' ' FATESPEAKER: Name, please? ' ' MW: Moonwatcher. Moonwatcher Lucine. ' ' FATESPEAKER (reading list): Lucine, Lucine… oh, there you are! Room 31113! You’ll have a roommate. ' ' MW (nervous): Thank you, ma’am. ' ' FS: No problem! ' ' (MOON takes off down a hallway) ' ' FS: And by the way, cute sweater! ' ' (MOON makes her way to her room. She knocks on the door. CARNELIAN, a pale, slightly tanned girl with dark brown dreadlock-braids, answers.) ' ' CARNELIAN (irritated): Yeah? ' ' MW: Excuse me, is this Room 31113? ' ' CARNELIAN (nodding grumpily): And you are? ' ' MW: Moonwatcher-I mean, Moon. Your roommate? ' ' CARNELIAN: Roommates, eh? I haven’t had anybody sharing a bunk with me for a long time. ' ' (MOON looks extremely uncomfortable. CARNELIAN realizes MOON was expecting a name. CARNELIAN coughs, then sticks out her hand.) ' ' CARNELIAN: Carnelian Jadira. You royalty, like everyone else here? ' ' (MOON shakes her hand. A shiver runs down her spine. She doesn’t understand why.) ' ' MOON: No. And I’ve only seen three or four names with “Princess” or “Prince” before it. ' ' CARNELIAN: Good. Let’s just say I don’t much care for royals. (in thoughts) I think I can survive living with this one… she’s nice and quiet. ' ' MOON: Um, thank you. ' ' CARNELIAN: What was that? ' ' MOON: Nothing, ma’am. ' ' CARNELIAN: Ma’am? ' ' MOON: Sorry, it’s a habit. ' ' CARNELIAN: Well, you might want to try breaking it. ' ' (MOON looks somewhat hurt. She’s also rather bewildered. Something’s off about her roommate, and she doesn’t know what. Suddenly, a girl dressed in neon with her medium brown hair pulled up in a high ponytail comes sprinting in. She bumps into a bookcase, scattering books everywhere.) ' ' KINKAJOU: Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry! I got excited. But still! Have you SEEN the library? It’s absolutely GINORMOUS! And there’s so many colors everywhere! In the art room, on campus! I’m Kinkajou, in case you were wondering! Moon, right? We’re going to be besties! I CAN FEEL IT! And- ' ' (She sees CARNELIAN, who looks rather unamused) ' ' KINKAJOU: ANOTHER ROOMMATE?! This is so amazing! It’ll be like a giant sleepover! ' ' CARNELIAN (snarkily): A giant sleepover. Wonderful. ' ' MOON: Wait. We’re only supposed to have only one roommate, in this room at least. There must have been some mistake. ' ' CARNELIAN: Great. Any possibility she could move out? (gestures at Kinkajou) ' ' KINKAJOU: I don’t think so. My schedule has Moon on it. Is that right? ' ' MOON (embarrassed): I never really… I forgot it. ' ' CARNELIAN (facepalming): What kind of person forgets their flippin’ schedule? Are you that scatterbrained? ' ' MOON: I didn’t want to come. ' ' KINKAJOU: Why not? ' ' MOON: I’m… not good with other people. ' ' CARNELIAN: (snorts) I’ll say. ' ' KINKAJOU: So, who’ll be the one to go to our dorm’s teacher? CARNELIAN: Don’t look at me. I’m not supposed to be here anyway. ' ' KINKAJOU (in thoughts): Should I do it? I don’t want to make Carnelian madder than she already is, and Moon would have a heart attack, but I’m also apparently “annoying”... is Webs the kind of teacher who’d get annoyed? I don’t know. Is it better if I find out now or tomorrow? ' ' MOON: I’ll do it. The- the walk will be good for me. ' ' KINKAJOU: Do you want me to come with you? ' ' MOON: No! I mean, I’m fine. ' ' (As soon as she gets a good distance away, MOON begins shaking and hyperventilating. It’s quite obvious she’s beginning to have a panic attack, and that’s why she left the room. She sits near-silently for a few minutes, trying to calm herself. Another girl, with dark skin and a slight afro, comes walking down the hallway. She stops and sits by MOON.) ' ' WHITEOUT: The moonlit seer. She has returned. ' ' (MOON’s head whips around.) ' ' MOON: Whiteout? What are you doing here? ' ' WHITEOUT: The cracks in the pen told me to arrange an education. And you? ' ' MOON: Mum said so. ' ' WHITEOUT: (nodding) Your mother is wise, to arrange one likewise. But smoke is rising, and the sun has fallen. We need celestials in orbit. ' ' (They sit in silence for a while. MOON takes a few deep breaths, while WHITEOUT simply sits, her eyes glazed over, thinking of someone. All of a sudden, MOON puts her arms around her cousin.) ' ' MOON: It’s been so long. I haven’t seen you since… ' ' WHITEOUT: Hush. We will not talk of the night, not yet. We need the light while we still have it in our threads. ' ' MOON: (nods, somewhat exasperated) I need to find a teacher… Webs? There’s been something with roommates, and I have an extra one. ' ' WHITEOUT: Three fruits on the same tree, but one is falling. Falling does not mean rotten, though. ' ' MOON: I can deal with an overenthusiastic roommate. I can deal with an irritable roommate. I can’t deal with both at the same time. ' ' WHITEOUT: Not bones. Merely stuck in ice. Many fossils frozen. But it’s melting. ' ' (MOON shakes her head.) ' ' MOON: I’ve never truly understood your mind. ' ' WHITEOUT: It’s a striped thing. ' ' MOON: More like… zigzags. ' ' WHITEOUT (firmly, shaking her head): No. Stripes. It’s definite. ' ' MOON: If you say so. ' ' WHITEOUT: You must speak to the frozen one. She will be a necessary component. ' ' MOON: But- ' ' WHITEOUT: I will again be your escort. ' ' (MOON nods. WHITEOUT seems set on this. She knows she can’t argue. WHITEOUT drags her into the room. KINKAJOU has run off to heaven-knows-where. CARNELIAN is pretending to read. MOON taps her shoulder.) ' ' CARNELIAN: Back already? ' ' MOON: Yes. Where’s Kinkajou? ' ' CARNELIAN: She ran to the cafeteria. Something about- ' ' (KINKAJOU comes back in. She’s holding a bunch of fruit.) ' ' KINKAJOU: Mangoes! ' ' (She begins peeling one, and tosses a slice to MOON. MOON nibbles on it. KINKAJOU sees WHITEOUT.) ' ' KINKAJOU: Moon, you brought the crazy lady! I saw her in the art room! She’s a really good artist, but her paintings are kinda creepy. (whispering) I said hi to her, and she said something about fluttery daisies. ' ' MOON: She’s my cousin. ' ' KINKAJOU: Really? Small world! ' ' CARNELIAN: Apparently oddities run in the family. ' ' KINKAJOU: So, I got this idea to play an icebreaker game. So that we can get to know each other and be buddies! ' ' CARNELIAN: I might literally die of joy. ' ' KINKAJOU: Okay, let’s get this started! Question One: Where are you from? Aww, that’s too easy. I’m from Iowa! Anybody else? ' ' MOON: I lived in Michigan. ' ' KINKAJOU: I thought most of you guys lived up in Oregon. ' ' WHITEOUT (wagging a finger at KINKAJOU): Washington. ' ' KINKAJOU: Carnelian, do you want to answer? ' ' CARNELIAN: Somewhere in Europe. ' ' KINKAJOU: Ooh, exotic! Where? Paris? ' ' CARNELIAN: Close enough. ' ' KINKAJOU: Enchante. (whispers) Is that how you say it? ' ' CARNELIAN: Yeah. Pick another one already. ' ' KINKAJOU: Okay… what is your least favorite clothing item? ' ' CARNELIAN: Corsets, obviously. You can’t even breathe- ' ' (CARNELIAN realizes what she’s saying.) ' ' CARNELIAN: I meant- you know what I mean. ' ' MOON: Corsets? Didn’t those go out of style in the eighteen hundreds? ' ' CARNELIAN: My family’s very old-fashioned. ' ' KINKAJOU: Alright, last one. If you could change anything about your name, what would it be? ' ' WHITEOUT: Not radiant enough. It smells like paper. ' ' MOON: Just have it be “Moon.” It’s what I prefer. ' ' CARNELIAN: My surname, obviously. Something like “Ward.” It means warrior, not “precious jewel,” like Jadira. Jadira’s too well known anyway. What did this Webs have to say? ' ' MOON: I- ' ' CARNELIAN: Never mind, anyway. I know how to be invisible. ' ' (The scene changes. The girls are in bed. MOON has fallen asleep. Suddenly, a nightmare is painted before her. Shadow creatures, for lack of a better word, are attacking. The academy is crumbling. Screams and pleas for help abound. CARNELIAN, her skin pale, eyes glowing, and skin burned black. And, right before she wakes up, she sees a brief flash of a silhouette. It takes her a while to go back into a restless sleep. She is woken again by CARNELIAN shaking her bed.) ' ' CARNELIAN: Hey, Mumbles. Get your tail out of bed. ' ' MOON (yawning): What time is it? ' ' KINKAJOU (over by the door): 8:20! ' ' MOON: Huh? (falls out of her bunk) Ah! Small groups start when? ' ' KINKAJOU: 8:30. ' ' (At this, MOON seems to buzz around the room. She manages to slip on her usual sweater, skirt, and tights, and run a comb through her hair. She grabs a book and runs over to KINKAJOU. The two burst out the door, not stopping until they get to a small classroom. A small pack of other students center around TSUNAMI, a pale, dark haired nineteen year-old.) ' ' TSUNAMI: There you are! I thought you’d never show up. Now class can begin. ' ' (MOON surveys the group. WINTER and QIBLI are there, as is WHITEOUT. ICICLE inspects her nails nearby. A tall, uninterested girl reminiscent of CARNELIAN slouches in a corner, while SORA nervously studies her book. There are three others, TURTLE, OSTRICH, and ANEMONE. They all, some happily, some begrudgingly, introduce themselves. Except for one.) ' ' TSUNAMI (to the tall girl): Do you have any interesting things about you? ' ' CRYSTAL (mildly annoyed): I’m Crystal Jadira, and I would really prefer it if you left me alone. ' ' (Before MOON can react, WINTER interrupts.) ' ' WINTER: Before we get on with this sappy sharing of feelings, are you the one to talk to when it comes to getting a private room? ' ' TSUNAMI: Why, yes, yes I am! The answer’s no. ' ' QIBLI: See, I’m your destiny! ' ' WINTER: I am a prince. I should get some respect. Isn’t that what this school is about? ' ' (ICICLE rolls her eyes.) ' ' TSUNAMI: It’s not just respect. It’s about equality. You are going to share a room, and you are going to learn to deal with it. ' ' (A bell rings) ' ' TSUNAMI: Time for breakfast. Report back here in one hour. ' ' (WINTER walks off, seething. The rest follow, gradually. QIBLI gives OSTRICH a hug, and WHITEOUT gives MOON a tap on the shoulder. CRYSTAL is the last to leave. MOON stops her.) ' ' MOON: I’m sorry to bother you, but your last name sounds familiar. ' ' CRYSTAL: What, the disgrace of our people? Of course you would have heard of us. ' ' MOON: Disgrace? ' ' CRYSTAL: Are you kidding me? Sometimes, nobody’ll even look at me. My blood is that tainted. ' ' MOON (nervously): Do you have a relative named Carnelian, by any chance? ' ' CRYSTAL (irritated): Of course I have! She was where the downward spiral began! All because of one crime five hundred years ago… ' ' MOON: Five… hundred? ' ' CRYSTAL: Don’t you know? She was executed for some sort of treason or murder, and ever since, my family name’s been cursed. Why do you want to know, anyway? Don’t you have some Night-Tribe business to be minding instead of poking your nose in mine? ' ' (CRYSTAL leaves. MOON follows apprehensively. The scene changes to the cafeteria. The Jade Dorm is clustered around one table. MOON sits down, near SORA and KINKAJOU. WINTER eyes her warily.) ' ' KINKAJOU: So, then I told Coconut that he could go get tangled in a vine. ' ' (MOON zones out of the conversation. Thoughts cloud into her mind.) ' ' THOUGHTS: The ashes. They’re emerging in the air, and I can’t stop it. We must draw our swords. ' ' I can’t believe I’m stuck with a Sand Tribal. But the Night Tribal is the last straw. I swear… ' ' I wish Crane was here… ripples, Sora, ripples. ' ' Honestly, what do they do in the Ice Kingdom? They have some ranking system, right? Glad we don’t have that back home. No wonder Winter’s so grumpy. Maybe I can soften him up. Should I figure out if he’s a threat first? ' ' This school will kill me. First that Night girl asks about Carnelian, then the rest of the Sky people here won’t even talk to me. I can’t stand her, that Ice girl. She’s too much like Ru. ' ' (CRYSTAL swivels her head around. She squints suspiciously at MOON.) ' ' CRYSTAL (thoughts): This one seems like she knows more than she should. (freezes) The powers. They say it was all a lie, but now… (she thinks directly to MOON) are you in my mind? ' ' (MOON’s eyes widen. CRYSTAL makes a “come here” gesture at MOON. She dismisses herself, and beckons MOON to follow. Once they’re out of earshot of the cafeteria, she pulls MOON toward her.) ' ' CRYSTAL: What did you hear? Tell me. Now. ' ' MOON: I wasn’t listening… ' ' CRYSTAL: You obviously heard something. ' ' MOON: It’s like… a switch. It turns on and off. It’s not constant. I don’t mean to do it. ' ' CRYSTAL: That doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make it any less wrong. What secrets did you see? Planning a blackmail? ' ' MOON: All you said was that you thought I knew too much. And something about someone… Ru? ' ' CRYSTAL (exhales): Good. You didn’t fish through and see anything else. I’m going to let you go, but this doesn’t mean we’re friends. I’m not spilling any more memories. ' ' (MOON begins walking away.) ' ' CRYSTAL: Wait… how did you know about Carnelian? You can’t have read that many history books. ' ' (MOON looks over to CRYSTAL. She looks nervous, but eventually decides to tell the truth. CRYSTAL towers over MOON, looks rather strong, and has a few scars. She could do some damage.) ' ' MOON: I have a few secrets of my own. ' ' (Scene changes. CRYSTAL is walking briskly with MOON.) ' ' CRYSTAL: So, you’re seriously telling me the ghost of my dead ancestor haunts your room? Are you sure you aren’t just telling me this to distract me? ' ' (MOON shakes her head. She opens the door. CARNELIAN sits cross-legged on the bed.) ' ' CARNELIAN: Great. Another one. ' ' (CRYSTAL looks as though she’s been hit up the head with a baseball bat.) ' ' CRYSTAL: So, you’re the famous Carnelian? ' ' CARNELIAN: Yep. And you are? ' ' CRYSTAL: Your nine-times great niece. Surprising that you still choose to walk the earth. Quite a few of my relatives would sell everything they own to get a chance to strangle you. ' ' CARNELIAN: Strangle me? I wasn’t hanged, so all attempts to strangle me would be unironic. ' ' CRYSTAL: You seem more concerned with the threat of strangling than the fact you’re a ghost. ' ' (CARNELIAN eyes MOON, in a “You knew? Aw, whatever.” way.) ' ' CARNELIAN: Well, it was about time someone noticed. ' ' CRYSTAL: Being kept here because of your crimes doesn’t bother you? ' ' CARNELIAN: I was innocent. ' ' CRYSTAL(Sarcastically): Uh-huh. Of course. Everyone’s innocent in the end, aren’t they? ' ' CARNELIAN: I know for a fact some aren’t. (she shrugs) But whose word is better? The word of a ghost, who can only tell half-truths, or the word of the living, who can still twist their words? ' ' CRYSTAL: Who knows? You could be telling a lie right now, with what you just said. And besides, demons like you are not to be trusted. ' ' CARNELIAN (laughs bitterly, sarcastically): My dear Crystal, you have much more real demons to worry about. (her eyes take on a slightly cold look.) Get to class. ' ' (CRYSTAL and MOON leave warily. They’re almost to class when a commotion is heard. TSUNAMI runs out, pushing through them.) ' ' MOON: Tsunami… what’s happening? TSUNAMI (slightly panicked): She’s hurt. Something pushed her. Episode #2: Dangerous Waves (We open on a shot of the Jade Mountain school gymnasium. QIBLI races in. CLAY, a tall African-American man, sits next to OSTRICH, who is barely conscious. His hand is behind her head, supporting her. Her wrist is bent in a strange direction.) ' ' QIBLI: Ossie? (He kneels down next to her, running a hand over her hair. He glances at CLAY. His face hardens.) What…? ' ' CLAY: She fell into the deep end of the pool and almost drowned. She was lucky Turtle was there. ' ' QIBLI: Turtle? ' ' (We pan to see TURTLE nearby, with a green and yellow striped towel around himself. He rubs off his glasses, and gives QIBLI a slightly concerned nod.) ' ' TURTLE: I was down here with Nem. She decided to come with us. She’s roommates with her-my sister, that is. She invited her to come down here with us-you know, to just check out the territory. I still don’t know how she fell in. ' ' (OSTRICH coughs a bit and attempts to prop herself up.) ' ' OSTRICH (hoarse, whispery): Is he here? ' ' QIBLI: Yes, Ossie. I’m here. ' ' OSTRICH: No. He. The one who pushed me. ' ' CLAY: … She’s in shock. We need to get her to urgent care. ' ' QIBLI: Can I go with her? ' ' (CLAY sadly shakes his head.) ' ' CLAY: I’m sorry. She needs some rest. ' ' (QIBLI nods, defeated. A few hours later, we see him talking to TURTLE, who has since changed into a shirt with Darth Vader on it.) ' ' QIBLI: She was lucky all she got was a broken wrist. I should’ve been with her. ' ' TURTLE: You might want to rethink that. I mean, just as a general suggestion. ' ' QIBLI: I’m her older brother! I’m supposed to protect her, not let her almost die! ' ' TURTLE: That’s true. ' ' QIBLI (taking a few deep breaths): My point being, you could’ve invited me. ' ' TURTLE: I thought you guys hated water. ' ' QIBLI: Correct. ' ' TURTLE: But Ostrich went with us anyway. ' ' QIBLI: That’s Ossie for you. Always willing to put herself in front of others. Being raised an Outclaw does that. But sometimes it leads to you forgetting to take care of yourself. ' ' TURTLE: At least you aren’t like my brothers. They’re okay, but most of the time, it’s pure anarchy. ' ' QIBLI: (chuckles slightly) Yeah, so was the Scorpion Den. Hope she comes out of shock soon. I wonder what that “he” business was about. ' ' TURTLE: … I think I might know. But it’s going to be weird. Really weird. And awkward. ' ' QIBLI: I’m roommates with Winter, of all people. I think I can handle it. ' ' TURTLE: Okay, here goes… we weren’t the only ones here. There was someone-something else. ' ' (As QIBLI opens his mouth to reply, CRYSTAL, MOON, and WINTER burst in. WINTER grabs QIBLI by the shoulders.) ' ' WINTER: Answers. Who. What. How. ' ' (QIBLI squirms away from him.) ' ' QIBLI: Hey, calm down, alright? ' ' WINTER: You do realize you’re attempting to order a prince around. ' ' QIBLI: Hey, you’d be doing the same to me. ' ' CRYSTAL: Wait, you’re a prince? ' ' QIBLI: Well, not officially. But Thorn kind of adopted me, so I guess I qualify? ' ' CRYSTAL: The point is, we need to know what happened. Immediately. ' ' TURTLE: I was about to explain, but then this happened, so I can’t tell you what happened to be what happened. ' ' (CRYSTAL is mildly stunned. For a few seconds, anyway.) ' ' CRYSTAL: Well, get on with it, then! ' ' TURTLE (sighs): So, Nem, Ostrich, and I were heading down here. I got this weird chill down my spine, but I didn’t think it was anything. We got here. I jumped in, Nem jumped in. We kind of got distracted. Water does that to me, you know? Anyway, Ostrich was goofing around on the diving board, pretending she was at the Olympics. And then… ' ' (A flashback ensues. We see OSTRICH from the back, parading around the diving board. ANEMONE and TURTLE are in the pool, splashing each other. OSTRICH begins acting like a sports announcer.) ' ' OSTRICH: And we see Anemone, coming around the bend. Turtle’s waiting for her, and- Whoa! Nice shot, Anemone! Turtle had better watch out for this pint-sized powerhouse! But-oh! Turtle’s making a comeback! ' ' (OSTRICH continues on in this way. She seems to be enjoying herself, and gets so caught up in her make-believe that she doesn’t realize what her instincts are telling her… or what’s surrounding her. TURTLE glances up just in time to hear her scream. ANEMONE scrambles out of the water. TURTLE frantically paddles over to OSTRICH, submerging himself. He turns, and comes face to face with… something. It resembles the unholy lovechild of a coelacanth and a certain faceless horror character, with the smile of a Cheshire Cat, which it shows off as it grins at TURTLE. TURTLE exhales sharply, blowing bubbles everywhere. Then he sees OSTRICH, pinned beneath the creature’s clawlike hand. She’s struggling weakly, and doesn’t have much time. TURTLE attempts to punch the creature. It growls, and flickers away. His hand catches on OSTRICH’s shirt. He pulls her to the surface. The scene changes back to the present. WINTER interrupts.) ' ' WINTER: Yes, that was a lovely little fantasy, but obviously untrue. It isn’t wise to tell such falsehoods. In my kingdom… ' ' (MOON interrupts him, much to everyone’s surprise, except for CRYSTAL, that is.) ' ' MOON: I would’ve said the same thing yesterday, but I’ve had a fiasco with roommates that convinced me otherwise. ' ' QIBLI: Not to mention the creepy feeling I got when I was alone in the hallway. Like there’s eyes on the walls. ' ' TURTLE (nodding): It always feels like something’s following you. ' ' QIBLI: Once I read a book about a place that all these ghosts starting haunting, sort of like a designated supernatural drop-off. I’m seriously starting to think there might be some truth to it. ' ' WINTER: Again, complete rubbish. Everyone knows those are just fairy tales meant to scare- ' ' CRYSTAL: And yet all evidence points otherwise. Particularly when it comes to Moon’s “roommate fiasco,” as she calls it. ' ' TURTLE: Wait, I’m confused. What’s the roommate fiasco? ' ' CRYSTAL (decisively): Grab the rest of our dorm. Meet us in Room 31113 in five minutes. We’ll explain there. ' ' (The rest run off. MOON glances at CRYSTAL.) ' ' MOON: Why my room? ' ' CRYSTAL: Carnelian’s already in there. Haven’t you read any ghost stories? They always say that unless it’s an old battleground or the site of a massacre, only one ghost could haunt an area at the same time. ' ' MOON: The ones I’ve read always said they were seeking vengeance for something, or it was a punishment. ' ' CRYSTAL: Maybe it’s just a Sky thing. The point is, we’re better off taking chances with Carnelian than with this forsaken thing. And it’s high time they knew. ' ' MOON: We- I only found out this morning! ' ' CRYSTAL: Well, we better get used to it. Come on. ' ' (We cut to the Jade Dorm, minus OSTRICH, all assembled in Room 31113. CARNELIAN is nowhere to be seen. WINTER scoffs.) ' ' WINTER: Well, get on with it! We don’t have all day. ' ' ICICLE: Agreed. If this roommate nonsense is just a big joke, I swear… ' ' CARNELIAN (offscreen): Talking like that won’t get you anywhere. ' ' (Everybody-save for CRYSTAL and MOON, who look like they were expecting this, and KINKAJOU, who looks confused-completely flips. WINTER says some phrases that cannot be printed. ICICLE grabs MOON by the collar.) ' ' ICICLE (menacingly): This had better be a joke, Night spawn. ' ' (CARNELIAN shimmers into view. ICICLE lets go of MOON.) ' ' CARNELIAN: Personally, I’m sorry it isn’t. ' ' (Everyone loses it-again. CRYSTAL stands on one of the beds and claps her hands loudly. Everyone shuts up.) ' ' CRYSTAL: Thank you. This is Carnelian Jadira, my thrice-cursed however-many-times great aunt. Carnelian, my dorm. ' ' (QIBLI waves, a dry look on his face. The others just look stunned.) ' ' CARNELIAN: Hmm, let’s see. (points at QIBLI) You have a sense of humor. I like you. (points at Sora) You remind me of someone. (points to WINTER and ICICLE) Same with you two. And of course, (points to KINKAJOU) there’s Squeakers over there. ' ' (Nobody speaks for a minute.) ' ' TURTLE: Well, here’s proof. The school is haunted. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to book a plane back home. ' ' WHITEOUT: There will be no flying books of any sort! We have an artillery closet, and we will use it! ' ' (WHITEOUT strikes a pose too amazing for words to describe on a small table. The rest look on. KINKAJOU breaks the silence.) ' ' KINKAJOU: Wait-we have a ghost roommate? Like, can turn invisible and walk through walls? ' ' CARNELIAN: I can’t walk through walls. I’ve been trying for the last few decades. ' ' KINKAJOU: Still! Wait ‘til I tell Tamarin and Glory about this! They sent me here to learn how to read, but I’ll show them. I mean, I’m sure reading is awesome and all, but this is better than books! ' ' CARNELIAN: No. You will not tell (makes a throat-slicing gesture) anyone about me. ' ' MOON: From what I can see-I mean, what I can guess, it will lead to us in therapy or her exorcised. ' ' TURTLE: Shouldn’t we try to get her out of here? I mean, if she hasn’t moved on, we should get some help. ' ' CARNELIAN: Sure, say that in front of me. Trust me, I know why I’m still here. And it ain’t pretty. Mr. Sands- ' ' QIBLI: It’s Qibli. ' ' CARNELIAN: Fine, Qibli. Your guess would be right. It’s what I call a plateshift. Yes, I may have read a few of the science textbooks. ' ' QIBLI: So, you mean… there’s a spiritual undercurrent here, and something’s happened to release it? ' ' CARNELIAN: Bingo, Sherlock. ' ' MOON: What made it happen? If we can solve it… ' ' CRYSTAL: I’m with Moon. If we cut the head off, it’ll go away. ' ' ANEMONE: Ew. Since when was decapitation involved? Are we harkening back to the Revolution? ' ' WHITEOUT: Yes! VIVE LA REVOLUTION! ' ' CARNELIAN: It’s not that simple. They’ve been escaping for years. It’s gonna be rough. ' ' WINTER: Wait-we’ve been haunted for years? ' ' CARNELIAN: Well, maybe not you personally, but yes. Your legends of spirits and monsters-they’re true. Nessie, yeti, demons- they’re all real. ' ' QIBLI: … Okay. So the tentacled thing in my closet was real all along. Got it. ' ' CARNELIAN: That was probably a bogey. They can’t actually cause any harm. The point is, imaginary or dead things aren’t staying dead or imaginary. The one you just ran into proves that. ' ' ICICLE: Oh, so now we’re in a zombie apocalypse. ' ' CARNELIAN: Well, not zombies. Just dead people who came back. Not reincarnation, though… I realize that wasn’t extremely comforting. ' ' (WINTER glares at CARNELIAN.) ' ' WINTER: The circumstances don’t matter. We need to know how to fight this thing. We obliterate it, then go back to life as we know it. ' ' CRYSTAL: Have you ever actually been in battle? You don’t just run at the opposition and pummel it. You have to plan it out… ' ' QIBLI: See if there’s a larger threat behind it. ' ' (CRYSTAL flashes a rare smile at QIBLI.) ' ' CRYSTAL: Exactly. We need to make a plan and stick to it. We need to add a sort of patrol. ' ' MOON: But who’s going to keep it up? I mean, we have class. ' ' QIBLI: Maybe we don’t patrol constantly. We’ll just report-say, send a text if we see something. ' ' CRYSTAL: Yes. That’s more efficient. ' ' KINKAJOU: Sunny told me that we have the rest of today off because of the accident. So, we have more time to fight the creepy thing! ' ' CRYSTAL: Which brings me to another thing: Strategy. We need to appoint ranks, if we want to get anywhere. Who here is good at memorizing information? ' ' (MOON, QIBLI, and SORA raise their hands.) ' ' CRYSTAL: Okay-Moon, (glances at name list) Sora, I need you to collect information. Anything useful you can find. Qibli, you were a member of Thorn’s gang? ' ' (QIBLI nods, slightly offended at the word “gang.”) ' ' CRYSTAL: I need you for help with plotting our next move. Carnelian, you too. Whiteout, you seem… perceptive. You stay here. The rest of you, patrol. Icicle and Winter have battle training, so they can be defensive. Now go. ' ' QIBLI: You’re very calm about all of this. ' ' CRYSTAL: If we’re waging war… ' ' QIBLI: We need to keep a cool head. Thorn says something similar. ' ' CRYSTAL: She sounds like someone I’d have a respect for. ' ' QIBLI: You better think that, or else I may have to have a word with you. ' ' CRYSTAL (unamused): Really. I’m very scared. ' ' QIBLI: Hey! I’m her most fearsome guard! ' ' (He puffs out his chest. CRYSTAL raises an eyebrow.) ' ' CRYSTAL: Intimidating. Now, let’s get down to business. ' ' WHITEOUT: TO DEFEAT THE HUNS! ' ' CARNELIAN: We aren’t in Mongolia, Crazytown. ' ' CRYSTAL: Insubordinate, both of you. Now, we should get the patrols to inspect the gym and locker rooms. It’s a mixed-gender party, so they should be able to sweep both. ' ' QIBLI: What happens if they meet up with the whatever-it-is? ' ' CARNELIAN: Judging by its behavior, I would think it’s a kappa. One of the Mongolian ones. Japanese ones look more like monkeys. ' ' QIBLI: So should we ask them to pick up Mongolian or Japanese legends? ' ' CRYSTAL: Both. The more we know, the better. Just… get them to pick up every book they can find on anything that might show up. ' ' (We cut to SORA and MOON stumbling in with an extremely thick book.) ' ' CARNELIAN: We’re going to read all of this? ' ' CRYSTAL: Yes. We’ll use it as a reference. ' ' WHITEOUT: Indeed. The sacred tome will take us higher. ' ' QIBLI: Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s open that thing and get reading! ' ' (Scene changes to TURTLE and WINTER mucking about the boy’s locker room.) ' ' WINTER: Ugh. I can’t believe we’ll have to actually use these things. A prince should not be treated like this! ' ' TURTLE: I hate to say it, but I agree with you. So much sand on the floor… probably from volleyball. Let’s see, we checked the pool again- ' ' (We cut to a slight flashback of TURTLE leaping in the pool. He sticks a thumbs-up out of the water.) ' ' TURTLE: The gym, the gym closet, the locker rooms. Wait. (freezes) We didn’t check the gym showers. ' ' WINTER: What would want to live in there? My b-someone once told me that nobody ever uses them. ' ' TURTLE: If nobody ever uses them, wouldn’t that be a great place to hide? ' ' (WINTER snaps his head toward TURTLE. He nods. The boys make their way to the showers. WINTER puts himself in front of TURTLE, pulling back the curtain with a nervous hand. A familiar, chilling grin greets him. It’s the kappa. We cut to CRYSTAL and her group reading.) ' ' MOON: Let’s see. It says the kappa is a monkey or fish-like water spirit that attempts to drown anything that comes near where it swims. ' ' CARNELIAN: Sounds about right. ' ' CRYSTAL: Read the fine print. Any ways to deter it? ' ' QIBLI (takes book): It says that if you throw a cucumber to it, it will be forever in your debt. ' ' CRYSTAL: We don’t have access to cucumber. Any other options? ' ' WHITEOUT: Royals. Rain will come, and it will shrivel. ' ' (MOON begins nodding.) ' ' MOON: I think I understand. It says here the kappa has a hollow in the top of its head, where it carries water. It can’t live without it. If it bows… ' ' QIBLI (excitedly): It’ll lose its life source! ' ' CARNELIAN: Finally. You guys are catching on. And, since in Japan, bowing is a sign of respect. If they bow, it will feel that it needs to return the favor. ' ' CRYSTAL: When they get back, we’ll transfer the information. We’ll have it gone in no time, before anyone else gets hurt. ' ' (WHITEOUT looks distressed.) ' ' WHITEOUT: No. Now. ' ' CRYSTAL: That’s just not sensible. Noise might alert the threat- ' ' WHITEOUT: Now. ' ' CRYSTAL: I’m trying to- ' ' WHITEOUT: NOW! ' ' CRYSTAL (trying to rein in her temper): Whiteout, I’m trying my best to keep everyone safe. If we’re going to make it through, you’ll need to listen. We will tell them when they get back. ' ' MOON: Maybe it’s you who needs to listen. ' ' CRYSTAL: What? ' ' MOON: When she gets like this, it usually means something’s happened. She was like this when her mother left, when her father was killed, when her brother died- ' ' (WHITEOUT begins making a keening noise.) ' ' CRYSTAL (looking mildly stunned): Here. ' ' (She tosses a phone to MOON.) ' ' CRYSTAL: Quickly! ' ' (MOON frantically dials. We cut to TURTLE answering. WINTER and TURTLE have crowded into one of the larger lockers. The kappa waits outside.) ' ' TURTLE: Crystal? ' ' MOON: No. I’m just using her phone. Where is it? ' ' TURTLE: … Right outside. ' ' MOON: Oh, goodness. It’s attacking them! They’re going to- ' ' (We hear a scuffling noise over the phone.) ' ' CRYSTAL: Hand it- Okay, here we go. I apologize for the panicking inconvenience. How close are you to it? ' ' (TURTLE glances out of the locker’s small window. He’s nearly face-to-face with it.) ' ' TURTLE: … Too close for comfort. ' ' CRYSTAL: Check. Where are the girls? ' ' TURTLE: Back in their dorm. Kinkajou was being too hyper, and Nem was whining. Icicle went with them, just in case it followed them. ' ' CRYSTAL: So it’s just you and Winter. ' ' (WINTER, who is being mushed into a corner, grits his teeth.) ' ' WINTER: It would seem that way. ' ' CRYSTAL: Okay, here’s the deal: Bow to it. ' ' WINTER: I’m not bowing to that thing. ' ' CRYSTAL: Unless you have a cucumber or a death wish, I would suggest bowing. ' ' WINTER: I don’t take orders from Sky Tribals. ' ' CRYSTAL: Fine. Turtle, are you willing to bow? ' ' TURTLE: Do I have a choice? ' ' CRYSTAL: Go ahead and do it. ' ' TURTLE: I would if I could get out of the locker. ' ' CRYSTAL (irritated): … Locker? ' ' TURTLE: We’re kind of hiding right now. ' ' CRYSTAL: Get out there like a true soldier! ' ' TURTLE: I’m not a soldier. I’m just a prince! ' ' CRYSTAL: A prince has power! ' ' TURTLE: Not really! In my kingdom, we’re just leftovers from trying to have a princess! ' ' CRYSTAL: Ugh. I cannot believe you Sea and Ice people. You’re not in your kingdom! Find what little sense you have, and use it! ' ' (Before TURTLE can respond, a sound of metal tearing fills the air. The kappa tears off the door.) ' ' CRYSTAL: Well, far as I know, you’re on the ground now! Do it! ' ' (TURTLE stumbles to his feet. Shaking, he folds his hands together and bows. We cut briefly to CRYSTAL’s team. WHITEOUT is in a corner, rocking back and forth, with MOON attempting to comfort her. QIBLI is looking to the heavens with his fingers crossed. CRYSTAL is drumming her fingers anxiously. Even CARNELIAN looks nervous. We cut back to TURTLE and the kappa, which tilts its faceless head, and bows also. Immediately, the water splashes onto the ground. The kappa lets out a shriek, and begins to shrivel up. It’s horrifying. When all is said and done, TURTLE stands for a moment, catching his breath. WINTER looks stunned. He never expected anything like this to happen.) ' ' CRYSTAL: That seems like a good sign. ' ' TURTLE: It’s gone. It’s over. ' ' CARNELIAN: For now, at least. ' ' CRYSTAL (whispering): Well done, soldier. Now, get back to the dorm. ' ' (We cut to CRYSTAL’s team. As soon as TURTLE hangs up, cheering breaks out.) ' ' CRYSTAL: Well, not bad for a newbie, anyway. (mutters) Can’t praise him too highly. ' ' (We cut to the next day. OSTRICH has come back, with a cast on her wrist. She runs over to QIBLI and throws her arms around him.) ' ' OSTRICH: Is he still here? ' ' QIBLI (shaking his head): Nope. We beat him off. But it’s not over yet. ' ' OSTRICH: What do you mean? ' ' QIBLI: A friend told me so. ' ' OSTRICH: But who? ' ' QIBLI (half-smiling): Let’s just say we’ve got a lot to talk about. ' ' QIBLI (V.O.): And that was how we saved the entire school. Or, at least, how we saved anyone going to P.E. It was a start. ' ' (We cut to MOON, walking down the hallway. She has a white towel wrapped around herself. Her hair is wet, and hangs like a shroud down her back.) ' ' QIBLI (V.O.): But as soon as we thought we could breathe easy, more clouds appeared on the horizon. It turns out, what Carnelian said about dead things not staying dead wasn’t just referring to ghosts or monsters. ' ' (A tall, pale young man with dark hair taps MOON on the shoulder.) ' ' STRANGER: Excuse me. I’m looking for the Jade Dorm. ' ' (MOON freezes. She knows that voice, from not very long ago. The last thing she remembers him saying was, “I’ll be back soon.” But it was another lie. She turns and looks into the young man’s eyes. In the corners are large freckles, in the same shape as MOON’s birthmarks. She reaches out a tentative hand.) ' ' MOON: But…no… you’re gone… ' ' (The young man smiles at her. MOON begins shaking her head. It can’t possibly be-) MOON: … Darkstalker?Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete) Category:Fanfictions (Fanon) Category:Fanfictions